Authors' 2025 Plans: Morgan Daimler on Fairies & Love

I'm interviewing authors on what books they have coming out this year and their other plans. Here I talk to fairy expert Morgan Daimler about her forthcoming new release.

Q: What book have you got coming out next in 2025? 

A: My next book is called Paid With A Kiss, published by Moon Books.

Q: What’s it about? 

A: It's a look at belief around fairies, love, and sex across the last thousand years into today.

Q: When will it be published? 

A: The official publication date is 29th April 2025, but is already available to pre-order.

Q: What event or events are you planning around the launch?  

A: Nothing definite but I'm leaning towards doing a Live on social media and talking a bit about the book and how it came to be.

Q: Apart from your book, what are you currently working on?  

A: I just finished up a book on the Scottish Fairy Courts and am getting ready to start one on the Wild Hunt

Q: Is there anything else you would like to mention, including any of your previous books?

A: In September 2024 I had a book come out about Celtic Fairies in North America. I'm really proud of that one, and I think it offers people some important perspective.

More about Morgan Daimler

Morgan Daimler teaches classes on Irish myth and magical practices, fairies, and related subjects in the United States and internationally. She has been published in multiple anthologies as well as in Witches and Pagans and Pagan Dawn magazines, and she is one of the world's foremost experts on all things fairy. Besides the titles available through Moon Books Morgan has a high fantasy novel 'Into Shadow' through Cosmic Egg and has self-published books of Old and Middle Irish language translations, and has an urban fantasy/paranormal romance series called Between the Worlds. Morgan has also presented papers on fairies and on fairies and witches at several university conferences.

Where to find Paid with a Kiss

You can find Paid with a Kiss at Moon Books: https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com/moon-books/our-books/paid-with-kiss-love-sex-fairy-belief. At the moment, you can take advantage of the publisher's winter e-book sale on all titles and get 50 per cent off using the code WINTER50. See the picture for full details.

You can also view it on Amazon

(Please note I earn commission from some links)

Poppet Craft: How to Make a Magical Yule Tree Fairy

The two little fairies in the photo above will be adorning my Yule tree this festive season. I saw the one on the left in a charity shop earlier this week and was struck by how it was constructed in the same way I make many of my poppets. As I'm sure you know, poppets are little dolls created with magical intent in English folk practices. They can be made for all sorts of purposes, including for protection.

After buying the little charity shop fairy I had a go at making a similar one. You can see my effort on the right. To start with, I cut three paper pattern pieces. 

• A gourd shape for the body
• A pair of wings with a strip in the middle joining them
• A circle for the face (or you could cut an oval) 

Patterns for the body and wings were made by folding some paper down the middle, drawing and cutting out half the shape I wanted against the crease, then unfolding the paper to get even shapes. For the circle, I drew around an egg cup.  

For the fabric, I chose felt - which is what the original was made from too. I used the patterns to cut out two identical body pieces, for the back and front; a pair of wings, and a face. The body pieces were sewn together with blanket stitch, inserting some stuffing before doing the final stitches. I also put a few cloves inside to give my fairy a Christmassy scent as well as to magically offer protection, cleansing, and attract abundance. 

The wings, face and string were stuck on with glue. I drew features with a marker pen and added a few extra adornments from things in my crafting box.

If you want to, you can bring extra enchantment to your Yuletide decorations with this guided visualisation for Winter Solstice Magic: http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2018/12/yule-tree-visualisation-for-winter.html

In-Person Workshop in London this Sunday

On Sunday 1 Dcember I'm running an in-person workshop on Poppets and Magical Dolls with a special look at Yule customs. It will be held at Treadwell's Bookshop, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury London, WC1E 7BS. The class starts at 1pm and costs £22 per person. More info and booking here: https://www.treadwells-london.com/events-1/poppets-magical-dolls-and-yuletide-lore-workshop

Books on Poppets and Guided Visualisations

You can find even more information and practical crafting ideas in my Pagan Portals books, which are published by Moon Books. Two of them are:

• Poppets and Magical Dolls 
• Guided Visualisations

My other books are Candle Magic, Scrying, and Rounding the Wheel of the Year as well as my novel Erosion. You can also buy the paperbacks at Treadwell's Bookshop .

Other Previous Related Posts

http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/10/craft-video-make-cloth-poppet-for.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/12/winter-solstice-tree-topper-sun-star.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/03/poppet-craft-doll-to-do-three-things-at.html

Author's 2024 Plans: Daniela Simina on Fairy Herbs

Daniela Simina writes inspiring books on fairy magic. I've interviewed her on what she has planned for later in the year:

Q: What book have you got coming out next in 2024?

A: Fairy Herbs for Fairy Magic – A Practical Guide to Fairy Herbalism will officially publish on August 1st.

Q: What’s it about?

A: It's the first book to cater exclusively to fairy-related herbalism, gathering in one single volume over forty fairy-specific herbs and plant materials, detailing their use in fairy magic. The book introduces the reader to fairies, their mercurial nature and relationship to people. It gives insights into the roles and attributes of fairy witches and seers, from olden times to the present day, and also into the role of fairy familiars. As a practical resource, Fairy Herbs for Fairy Magic is complete with ideas for rituals, charms and spells.

Q: What event or events are you planning around the launch?

A: While the book launches only in August, I wish to bring it to the public awareness early on. So, on January 13th, I scheduled a class on fairy magic at Phoenix and Dragon Metaphysical Store in Atlanta, GA, USA. On January 29-February 2, I will speak about A Fairy Path at the Reawakening the Sacred Self online conference. On July 26- 28 I will present at the Mystic South Conference in Atlanta, GA. The presentation, also titled Fairy Herbs for Fairy Magic, explains the tradition of fairy magical herbalism and presents the book as a practical resource for anyone interested. I will also have a book signing event while at Mystic South 2024. 

In the first part of November, I'm scheduled to speak at the Ancestral Pathways online conference. I have  an article published in the Moonscape magazine, and several articles in queue for publication in the Fairy Investigation Society Newsletter, EvOke, Witch Magazine, Myddle Earth Magazine, and Magical Times. All of these articles related directly or indirectly to my book.

Q: What are you currently working on?

I am currently working on a research paper, “Women, Politics, and Power in the Viking-Age Scandinavia”. I am also penciling the outline for a book about common themes in Irish and Norse fairy lore. Another major objective for 2024 is making the course that I created, Fairycrafting: Fairy Magic from Basics to Advanced Practice, available online.

More about Daniela Simina 

Daniela is native of Romania, granddaughter of a fairy seer and medicine woman. She became acquainted with fairies through the local lore and folklore and through direct personal experience. Growing up, Daniela explored European nature-based traditions of spiritual healing, deepened her understanding of both energy and human physiology through practicing martial arts and yoga. Daniela Simina teaches courses, classes, and workshops on various modalities of energetic rebalancing and of course, fairies. Her previous books include Where Fairies Meet: Parallels between Irish and Romanian Fairy Traditions and A Fairy Path: The Memoir of a Young Fairy Seer in Training.

You can find Daniela Simina on these links:

• Publisher Moon Books author page: https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com/moon-books/authors/daniela-simina
• Whispers in the Twilight blog: https://whispersinthetwilight.blogspot.com
  
  

(Note: I earn commission from advertisers for some links. This helps support my blog at no extra cost to those who read my posts.)

Books on Witchcraft: A Fairy Path by Daniela Simina

A book is coming out next week that I enjoyed reading so much that I wrote an endorsement for it before it was published. It's A Fairy Path: The Memoirs of a Young Fairy-Seer in Training by Daniela Simina, and is an autobiographical account of growing up in Romania and learning witchcraft at a young age. Daniela also told me that it's her favourite from all the books she's written. Here's what I said in my endorsement:

“In A Fairy Path: The Memoirs of a Young Fairy-Seer in Training, Daniela Simina offers a beautifully written tale of a childhood full of fairy magic, yet lived in fear during in Romania’s Communist past. It’s a story based in truth, of traditional folk beliefs passed on from grandmother to granddaughter and practiced in secret for the good of the community. It’s also about growing up, coming of age, and learning to take on the responsibilities of being a witch. The book ends with a wonderful collection of genuine charms and spells, as learnt by Daniella from her youngest days.”

A Fairy Path is published by Moon Books but can also be found at Amazon. 

(Note: I earn commission from advertisers for some links. This helps support my blog at no extra cost to those who read my posts.)

Other previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2018/09/book-travelling-fairy-path-by-morgan.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/01/book-endorsement-earth-spirit-honoring.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/09/authors-on-their-own-writing-rachel.html

Authors On Their Own Writing: Daniela Simina

I've interviewed pagan writer Daniela Simina about which of her own books she most liked and why, continuing my mini interview series with authors. 

Q: Of the books you’ve written, which is your favourite?

A: Among all the books I’ve written so far, A Fairy Path: The Memoire of a Young Fairy Seer in Training is my favorite.

Q: What’s it about?

A: A Fairy Path is an autobiographical work that captures my early years growing up in Romania with my grandmother, a medicine woman - a fairy seer. It is a story of coming of age in the harsh reality of a society dominated by a communist regime force-feeding pragmatism to an otherwise deeply spiritual people. The protagonist of the story (my younger self) aspires to become a fairy seer and medicine woman but must learn to navigate societal and family conflicts in order to get closer to her ideal. The interaction with fairies shatters the idyllic image she initially held. The reality is sobering for young Daniela who learns the hard way the do’s and don’ts of fairy witchcraft.

Q: Why is it your favourite?

A: This book, which I dedicate to my grandmother, offers a unique perspective on folk medicine and fairy seership as it was practiced in Romania half a century ago. I am happy and proud to offer readers something sui generis, the experience of someone who grew up steeped into fairy lore and learned directly from a fairy seer. While the plot revolves around a young Daniela and folk traditions are introduced through a child’s eye view, this is not a children’s book. In endorsing A Fairy Path, Cat Heath, author of Elves, Witches and Gods, says, “this is the magic of storytelling when used to teach”. These words summarize perfectly my intent for this book. The experiences, charms, spells, rituals, and beliefs detailed in its pages make A Fairy Path a valuable resource for scholars, practitioners of magic, and everyone with an interest in fairies. 

Q: Tell me a bit more about yourself and any other books you’ve written.

A: I am a fairy witch, and my spiritual path unfolds at the intersection between Norse and Irish cultures. I research, write, and teach classes on various esoteric subjects, including fairy magic and spiritual herbalism. Aside from A Fairy Path. The Memoir of a Young Fairy Seer in Training I also wrote Where Fairies Meet: Parallels between Irish and Romanian Fairy Traditions and Fairy Herbs for Fairy Magic: A Practical Guide to Fairy Herbalism.  

As the title suggests, Where Fairies Meet explores the parallels between fairy traditions in Irish and Romanian lore. Analyzing similarities as a side-by-side comparison highlights not only the common threads but also draws awareness to the uniqueness of fairy beings in each culture. The rich material gathered in this book – stories, first-hand accounts, rituals and symbolism with archaic origins- invites deeper consideration of the reality that underlies fairy-related phenomena.  

Fairy Herbs for Fairy Magic is a practical guide that arose from my own need for such a resource. This is not a generic compendium for spiritual herbalism, but a guide to using herbs in a fairy-based practice specifically. Over 40 herbs, trees, and resins are analyzed based on their connection to different kinds fairies, and a special section is reserved to water. Practical commendations for practice abound in the book together with details about fairy doctors and witches and the relationship to fairy familiars.

My quest is to create practical resources and help people re-connect with the enchantment of natural world and the magic of fairies. 

You can find Daniela Simina's author page at publisher Moon Books. You can also find A Fairy Path and her other titles on Amazon and other online book stores.

Note: I earn commission from some links.

Previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/09/authors-on-their-own-writing-rachel.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/10/authors-on-their-writing-bard-of-ely.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/09/authors-on-their-own-writing-logan.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/09/authors-on-their-own-writing-laura-perry.html

Book Extract: Pagan Portals - Where Fairies Meet

Midsummer is a time to think about fairy lore, so here's an extract from a new book, Where Fairies Meet: Parallels Between Irish and Romanian Fairy Traditions, by Daniela Simina: 

Fairies guarding forests demand respect. Treating the woods with disrespect may prove fatal. In 'The Forest' tale, a group of woodcutters gather around the fire to decide how much more they should cut considering that they had already reached their quota for the season. Before officially beginning their council, the elder among woodcutters first makes an offering to the zâne  [* Romanian fairies] guardians of the forest. “First the old man poured a few drops of brandy on the ground. “Here, this is for you.... Please don’t harm us.” (…). The man then reminds his crew that throughout the entire season they enjoyed good health and no accidents had befallen any of them. He reminds them about the danger of angering the local zâne if they keep cutting. While the older men agree with him, the younger ones would have none of it. One woodcutter and his two sons split from the group and return to work. The older son gets injured and dies from bleeding shortly after. The elder again asks the wood fairies to be content with one man, and allow them to go unharmed. But the boy’s father, blinded with grief, wants revenge. He challenges the fairy of the place, and spitefully sets fire to one old and large tree. The tree burns out in a very strange manner: not one single ember rolled away, not one leaf on the ground caught fire. The father and the remaining son rush toward the woods and begin hacking with their axes. The rest of the men run to stop them, but are unable to move or speak, held in place by an invisible hand. They all see a tall and slender figure walking behind the son and touching his shoulder. At this point the axe rotates into the youngster’s hands and his arms flex pulling the axe’s edge toward his own face. The boy drops dead with the axe stuck in his forehead. The father then chases after someone visible only to himself, and waving the axe rushes into the nearby river. A raft appears out of nowhere with a tall and slender figure standing on it. Logs, stacked up near the water, come loose and roll into the stream, crushing the man as he tries to climb onto the raft. All the while, the tall figure remains impassible, and once the man is torn to pieces and his blood dyes the waters red, it vanishes leaving the empty raft floating away. (Spariosu, Benedek, 1994)   (…)

In the Irish lore, fairy queen Aoibheall is described as holding multiple roles, among which is wielding powers over elements. She is known as “...Aoibheann the Lovely One, a queen and protective spirit of the land...”, a description that illustrates her connection to the land itself. Also Aoibheal can command rains and storms. In the lore, the place where she made her abode is identifiable, “...up the top of Crag Hill, surrounded by forest, where Aoibheall used to sit...From there she could command the weather, brewing up storms and high wind when needed to protect her people...” (Marshall, 2013) 

An Dagda, king of the Tuatha Dé, and king of fairies in Ireland, owns a magical harp named Daur da Bláo, The Oak of Two Blossoms, and Coir Cethar Chuir, The Four Angle’s Music. Through playing his harp An Dagda turns the seasons. He is also connected with shaping the land in various ways, and can control the passing of time, all of which will be detailed in the next section. 

Fairy queen Áine has close associations to Lough Gur. Her castle is said to be in that lake, and she still appears sitting nearby and combing her beautiful hair. The story “Áine and the Fer Fí” describes a healing ritual involving the “Áine the bean- sidhe and spirit of Lough Gur.” (duchas.ie ) 

Daniela Simina is an author and teacher. She researches, writes, and teaches various classes on esoteric subjects related to energetic balance, and to fairies, who are at the heart of both her personal and professional paths. You can read more about her at her Moon Books author page and also follower ber blog - Whispers in the Twilight.

You can view Where Fairies Meet on Amazon and at publisher Moon Books.

Note: I earn commission from some links

Pictures from the Magical Sussex Faerie Festival 2023

Here are some photos I took at the Sussex Faerie Festival 2023. It's always a lovely event and is nestled in a beautiful valley in the South Downs in Sussex. 

You reach the venue along a winding country lane from a lovely village, there are wooded slopes on two sides and a wildflower-covered hill rising at the far end. The Faerie Festival website explains more about why the site is so perfect: 

"The words 'alf' and 'risten' in old Saxon literally translates as 'elf settlement'. So it's no surprise that the picturesque village Alfriston, which is nestled in the Sussex downs makes such a wonderful location for Faerie Festival!"

Every year the festival lasts over a long weekend and this year it was from Friday 19 - Sunday 21 May. The weather was perfect - warm and sunny and perfect for a camping event with entertainment, a market and workshops. I've been several times over the years and the weather is usually kind, but even when it's less gorgeous than this I've always had a brilliant time. The festival website continues, explaining why the event is so lovely: 

"Each year visitors travel far and wide to celebrate the world of faeries with mystical entertainment and uplifting workshops. Community is at the heart of what we do and visitors always comment that the weekend is like a big faerie family gathering."

This year I ran a workshop on Magic for May on the Saturday, where people made pictures of green people and creatures using floraged foliage, then went on a guided visualisation to meet the green person of the forest. I also had on show a few of the very first copies of my book Pagan Portals - Rounding the Wheel of the Year, which is officially not coming out for another couple of months.

The photo at the top of this post shows one of the stalls in the market - the hugs were free, not the rugs, although the rugs were very nice and I saw several people sitting on similar things while watching the entertainment. In the next photo down you can see people watching enthusiastic local Sussex drummers. Then there's a moment captured when a Scottish dancer and a Lithuanian singer combined their talents for a multi-cultural performance. At the bottom is a photo I took of the inside of the Goddess Temple tent, which was new to the festival this year and was a place for quiet contemplation as well as group meditations.

Previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2022/09/long-burgh-long-barrow-ancient-guardian.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2022/05/pagan-eye-big-group-hug-at-faerie.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/05/craft-crotcheting-blanket-for-summer.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2021/09/tarot-can-you-identify-this-unusual.html

(Note: I earn commission from advertisers for some links. This helps support my blog at no extra cost to those who read my posts.)

Wicca Moon Goddess Oracle Reading: Mother Bircher

Here's a good witch to help you start your week. 

I drew a card from Wicca Moon's new Goddess Oracle as a reading for the world and Mother Bircher appeared. According to the book that comes with the set, Mother Bircher represents the helpful kind of witch found in some fairy tales, rather than the kind who turns people into toads. It says:

"You might recognise her as Frau Holle, or Old Mother Goose, or even the Goddess Holda... She is a comforting character with the powers of a Fairy Godmother. Outlandish and whimsical, you never quite know when Mother Bircher is going to make an appearance - or what unexpected delights she is going to bring with her."

This card means magic might be about to enter your life and bring a sudden change for the better. It can also indicate travel. I'm taking a nice fairy tale witch as a good omen personally because I'm off to the Sussex Faerie Festival at the end of this week! I hope your fairy godmother turns up and grants your wishes this Monday morning.

I recently reviewed the Wicca Moon Goddess Oracle and really like it. Wicca Moon is at 50 Well Hall Rd, Eltham, London SE9 6SH, about a 5-minute walk from Eltham Station. As well as being a physical shop, Wicca Moon sells a huge range of items online including oracle and tarot cards. You can find out more here: https://www.wiccamoonuk.com/

Other previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/04/occult-london-witchy-shopping-at-wicca.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2018/10/review-wicca-moon-tarot-deck.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2015/09/jack-gale-on-greewich-and-goddess-holda.html

Book Excerpt: Ancient Fayerie by Melanie Godfrey

Here is an early peek at a book on Ancient Fayerie by Melanie Godfrey. It's published by Moon Books and is due to reach shops later this summer, so enjoy this chance to glimpse what's inside:

Imagine a world without ancient stories, without myths and legends. No tales of trolls roaming free on mountain tops, or dragon races in the skies, no fairies dancing on meadows green or water sprites flitting between the bubbles on dancing river tides. I couldn’t imagine this. The world would seem still, yet empty of magic; a magic that embodies the mystery of life, an enchantment that inspires my soul to dream of infinite possibilities. Oh, it would be such a dull place if there were no time-honoured tales to tell. My imaginings would seem silly to the few and crazy to most. 

But in my imagination, fayeries do exist. Dragons do dance in cloud-filled skies, trolls do hide their treasures of nuts and berries in forest glens, and they walk amid the majestic mountain ranges, their heads almost touching the clouds. Fayeries do hold court and ride tiny white horses with their manes gleaming of rainbow starlight. I’m glad the myths and legends of the Earth’s cultures were spoken of and retold in stories again and again. I am glad that the elemental kingdoms are alive – in my imagination and vision, anyway. I know many of you feel the same way, too. 

Fayerie is an age-old name and is a sphere that has always existed. Prehistoric folk were more attuned to the cycles of the year. They interacted daily with the genius loci, which is a Latin word, and means the spirit, or guardians of the land. Fayerie is a state of mind rather than a place, it is a realm we enter as we pass through a spiritual dimension into the Otherworld and access higher states of consciousness, this connection can be accessed in our mind through meditation, or through visions. 

Animism is a time-honoured belief system, a belief that the trees, the stones, the oceans, the mountains, the weather systems, the animals, and the human beings, all share a parallel feature. They embody a spirit – a soul that gives them life force energy. Animism sees nature as bestowing a language that allows it to subtly communicate with human beings, quite often in profound ways. Animism is about being in relationship with the land. Of pursuing a deeper connection with the earths guardian spirits who will, in turn, gift invaluable insights and share ancient wisdom teachings. The animals, the trees, the stones, have a “voice” that needs to be heard. Animism is an experience that is universal. Enabling humans to re-establish their indigenous natures by perceiving the rivers, mountains, and trees, not just as objects to wield, but as kindred to form a relationship with. The ancient fayerie tales, the myths, and legends of old, all carry elements of animistic understanding. 

The whole planet is amassed with Earth guardians, waiting patiently for you to discover, but only if they allow and on their terms. If you ever encounter a fayerie being, embrace a common politeness, and meet them in a ceremonial fashion, as they are not of human mind, so they require a different kind of welcoming. Meet them humbly, and never make promises you cannot keep. Accept that not all the fair folk wish to be discovered, so respect their boundaries and their lands. The wild places, sacred hills, mounds, and fayerie trees that adorn the Celtic countryside should be refrained from being cut down or destroyed, littered, or nonchalantly walked upon without any kind of respect. And enter fayerie environments with reverence, for the People of Peace prefer to live secluded, secretive lives away from most human eyes, as most humans do not meet the land respectfully. The People of Peace hid away, and humans forgot who they were. They are hidden, but not in hiding. When you do cross paths with an Elven soul, offer them grace, and show your kindliness. Bless them with a poem, a song, fresh food, fresh milk, bread, cakes, honey, nuts, or mead. Food that you have especially baked will gratefully be accepted, as then they will know you come in warm-hearted and peaceful ways. Be mindful of their boundaries and that you are two different species entirely, even if you have fayerie soul. When you journey into the Otherworlds, stay impartial, grounded, and calm in nature. Remember to bring your mind firmly back to your human senses, as many folks have been known to become lost in the land of enchantment, it is a timeless place. Not everything is as it seems in their world. Fayerie cannot lie, but they can be tricksters with words and shapeshift. They often wear glamour suits to show themselves, as they are mainly wisps of energy from within the earth and difficult to discern in wild places.  

You can view Ancient Fayerie on Amazon and at Moon Books

Previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2020/02/review-new-dictionary-of-fairies-by.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2018/09/book-travelling-fairy-path-by-morgan.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2021/11/book-extract-earth-spirit-ancient.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2018/12/book-excerpt-healing-plants-of-celtic.html

Divination for the Day: Iona - Enter Sacred Space

Every month, both this year and last, I've been drawing a tarot or oracle card as a reading for the world. The divination for this month came from the Art Through the Eyes of the Soul Oracle and showed a picture of the ancient Scottish Isle of Iona, with the message "Enter Sacred Space - Commune with your Faery Allies."

I must admit I was a bit unsure about this card when I first drew it, because the subject of fairies can be  divisive. Historically, fairies were seen as dangerous, and often not exactly allies. The view of them as helpful little nature spirits only developed in Victorian times. The picture on the card shows a divine woman standing inside a circle formed by Fairy Ring Champignon mushrooms. I confess I've personally stood inside such rings myself with no ill effect. However, one should probably avoid doing so. Partly that's because squashing the ground might hinder future growth of the shrooms, but there's also reputedly a risk of getting whisked off to fairyland and lost for 100 years. 

The book that comes with the set gives an expanded meaning: "Approach the dwellings of faeries and ancestors with reverence and respect. Interdimensional contact is both natural and illuminating." That's a message I can get behind. We are at the start of summer, and many pagans and others will be considering travelling to sacred sites. We should all remember to tread lightly as we go, avoid damaging places of natural beauty, treat those who dwell there with respect, and act in a manner that is responsible. You are more likely to get help from otherworldly beings if you treat their spaces well.

I have never visited Iona, but it is somewhere I would love to go. The island is associated with the Goddess Brigid, among other revered beings, and has a water source that is known as the Well of Eternal Youth.

You can view the Art Through the Eyes of the Soul Oracle on Amazon.

Note: I earn commission from some links.

Previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2017/05/cornwalls-sacred-sites-st-nectans-glen.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2021/03/witches-wisdom-tarot-council-of-all.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2021/04/divination-joy-or-six-of-fishes-from.html

Poppet Magic: Cinderella Dolls for Transformation

The start of autumn - and gloom in the news - can make us feel a bit down. Cinderella is a fairy tale about transformation, and you can use that idea to help transform your mood with some doll magic. 

My inspiration came from a Cinderella doll that my mum knitted and gave to me a long while ago. She's the larger doll in the photos. One side of the doll looks sad and is wearing rags, the other side is smiling and looking happy. Interestingly, while the popular version of Cinderella, which started with Charles Perrault’s book of fairy tales in 1697, has Cinderella’s transformation granted by a fairy godmother, in the later Brother’s Grimm version of the tale, Aschenputtel, it’s the spirit of the girl’s dead mother who materialises a beautiful dress so she can go to the ball. Many pagans will identify with calling on the spirits of ancestors to help in life. 

My own mother is sadly also long passed from the world, but when I’m feeling down, I tell all my woes to Cinderella in rags that she gave me. Then I ask my doll to work her transformation magic, to help me with my problems and resolve my woes. After that I turn her upside down to show her smiling face, and put her near me: beside my bed at night or on my desk as I work during the day. Seeing her helps cheer me up. 

You don’t need to have been given a doll. You can make – or buy – a Cinderella doll for yourself. There are patterns available to knit or sew Cinderella dolls, but you can also make a simple Cinderella poppet. A poppet is the traditional English magic name for a doll used in spellcraft. They might often look folk arty rather than professionally made, but in magic that doesn’t matter. It's the symbolism that counts, as well as the work you put into it yourself. Here’s how you can do that. 

Use a gingerbread person cookie cutter as a basic pattern or draw a similar shape freehand. However, you only need the upper half of the body shape – the head, arms and body down to just below the waist. Cut two pairs of these from felt, which doesn't fray. The finished doll will have two heads – one at either end - and two sets of arms. Make two circles the same size, ideally of stretchy fabric, to form skirts. I suggest stretchy fabric because it is easier to put over the doll. Make a hole in the centre of each skirt, just wide enough to fit as a skirt around the middle of the doll. It is easiest to loosely stitch each skirt to its end of the body before stuffing the doll halves and stitching them together at the waist. Put a frowning expression at one end and a smile on the face at the other end. 

The Cinderella poppet I made is the smaller one in the photos. For the sad side, I used blue felt to represent having the blues. I dressed her in clothes made from a worn-out navy blue sock. I made the happy side in pink felt, to represent feeling in the pink, as the saying goes. I fashioned her a ball gown bodice from ribbon I’d saved from gift wrapping. For her skirt I used silk that had been part of one of my favourite garments. It sadly got torn when I wore it to one Glastonbury Festival, but reusing the fabric reminds me that I will go dancing again. 

You can enchant your doll by casting a circle, naming her and asking her to transform your sadness into happiness and your tears into smiles. When you are feeling down, turn the doll frowning side up and tell her all your woes and problems. Spend as long as you need to do this. Then reverse the doll so the smiling face is showing. Ask your doll to help you smile then meditate with her or put her beside you and let the transformative magic change your mood.

You can find more information, and more spells, in my book Pagan Portals - Poppets and Magical Dolls, published by Moon Books.

Note: I earn commission from some links. This helps subsidise my blog at no extra cost to readers.

Links and previous related posts

http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/10/charles-perrault-complete-fairy-tales.html

http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2019/08/witchy-craft-how-to-make-sewn-cloth.html

http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/02/witchcraft-casting-circle-by-light-of.html

Lucya Starza author page at Moon Books.

Tarot for the Day: Four of Autumn (Coins) - Fairy Tarot

Sometimes, when times are hard, it can feel less daunting to do tarot readings from packs that offer gentler interpretations than more traditional decks. I've recently felt drawn to use the Fairy Tarot, which is specifically designed to offer positive meanings aimed at inspiring people to do their best in any given situation.

A card I just drew was the Four of Autumn. Autumn corresponds to the suit of Coins or Pentacles in more traditional tarot decks. In the Rider Waite Smith deck the Four of Coins/ Pentacles is depicted as a miser clutching his wealth. In the Fairy Tarot, the Four of Autumn's illustration shows a person in drab attire looking jealously at someone richly garbed with a snooty expression. This card is about material wealth, but it is also about how our perceptions can be blinded by money.

There is a summary of the meanings printed on each card. Four of Autumn states: "Manage your resources wisely. Achieve a balance in how you spend and save money. Help out those who are less fortunate." The longer description that comes with the book says: "Comparing yourself to others can create confusion. You may not be seeing things as they truly are. You might feel as though you don't have enough when really you are blessed with more than you realise. Remember to give to those in need."

This is an important message, especially when many of us are living in isolation, and possibly struggling to make ends meet. It is important to manage our finances - and other material things - sensibly. Look after yourself and plan for the future, but also try to help those who are less well off.

Charities are struggling at the moment because they are unable to raise funds through high street shops, but still want to be able to support the people or animals they were set up to assist. It might be worthwhile seeing if you can help by making a donation or volunteering in some way. This can even be an opportunity to learn and widen your horizons. I felt this message was pertinent for myself. Last weekend I took part in an Oxfam campaign by doing a short video at home. This will be compiled with clips from other volunteers for a social media effort to raise awareness for the charity.

The Four of Autumn card, as well as being about money and finances, is also about trying to avoid jealousy. It can be easy to be envious of those we feel are more privileged than ourselves, but we don't always know the whole story. Just because someone is wealthy, doesn't mean they are without their own problems. Try to look past appearances, and treat all other people with compassion.

You can view the Fairy Tarot on Amazon.

Note: I earn commission from some links

Previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2015/11/review-fairy-tarot-cards-by-doreen.html

Review: A New Dictionary of Fairies by Morgan Daimler

Morgan Daimler is a foremost expert in Celtic fairy lore from the standpoint of a pagan practitioner, as well as having studied the subject in an academic capacity for decades. Morgan's latest book is A New Dictionary of Fairies, and it is an essential reference work for anyone interested in this topic. It is also a jolly good read.

At the weekend, I intended to skim over the book in order to review it, looking up a few things that interested me. After all, one doesn't normally read a dictionary from cover to cover. Except that's exactly what I ended up doing. After reading the introduction and first few entries, I found I just wanted to go on reading, and spent an entire afternoon on the sofa, happily away with the fairies.

Publisher Moon Books says on its website:

"Fairies are a challenging subject, intertwining culture, folklore, and anecdotal accounts across centuries and millennia. Focusing primarily on the Celtic speaking cultures, with some material from adjacent cultures including Anglo-Saxon and Norse, A New Dictionary of Fairies has in-depth entries on a variety of fairies as well as subjects related to them, such as why we picture elves with pointed ears or where the idea of fairies being invisible comes from. It also tackles more complicated topics like the nature and physicality of the fairy people. Anyone with an interest in the Good Neighbours will find this book a solid resource to draw from."

The book's subtitle is 'A 21st Century Exploration of Celtic and Related Western European Fairies'. While it concentrates mainly on Irish, Scottish and Welsh folklore, it also  looks at some other legends including Norse mythology and a few tales from various parts of England. I've seen it favourably compared with Katharine Briggs' Dictionary of Fairies, and I agree it is a worthy successor to the famous folklorist's lauded work.

Morgan Daimler is a prolific pagan writer, having published more than a dozen books under Moon Books alone, including: Travelling the Fairy Path,  Fairies: A Guide to the Fair Folk, The Morrigan, Gods and Goddesses of Ireland. They live in Connecticut, USA. You can listen to an interview with Morgan on Mark Norman's Folklore Podcast.

You can view A New Dictionary of Fairies on Amazon

Note: I earn commission from some links

Fairy Ointments & Their Uses at the MWM Conference

The jars and bottles in the photo above contain various stages in the creation of a fairy ointment - something you apply to your eyelids to enable you to see fairies. The potions are the work of Anna Milon and Samuel Gillis Hogan, PhD students at the University of Exeter, who gave a talk called Fairy Ointments: Medical Aid for Magical Bodies at the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic conference last weekend.

Anna and Samuel looked at  historic and folkloric records about where fairies get their magic. One common folk tale is that of the fairy midwife.

There are variations on the tale, but the basic story is that a midwife is summoned late at night by a strange man to deliver a baby. He takes her to where his wife is in labour. He then gives her an ointment and tells her that as soon as the baby is born, she is to use it to anoint the child's eyelids, but on no account should she use it on her own eyes. However, the midwife disobeys. Either accidentally or deliberately, she tries a little out on one of her eyelids. Immediately, she sees that she is in a fairy palace and the new mother is a fairy queen. Then, a few weeks later while at the market, she sees the strange man again. When she greets him and asks how the child is doing, he asks which eye she can see him in. She points to the one she anointed. The man then strikes her blind in that eye.

What that tale suggests is that fairies sometimes need physical help - in this case an ointment - in order to do their magic. Anna said there are two ideas about how magic works, which relates to both fairies and witches. One is that some individuals have special magical abilities. The other is that magic is an innate force in the cosmos, but individuals can learn to tap into that. The concept of fairies needing an ointment in order to be able to see through glamours, or see invisible things, suggests they have a superior knowledge of natural magic rather than just having special abilities.

Samuel said he had looked at late medieval and early modern manuscripts, including grimoires and books belonging to cunning folk, to find recipes for magical medicines. He had found six ways of making ointments or unguents to be able to see fairies. One of these he made with Anna and brought to the conference. It requires oil, rose water, marigolds, hollyhocks, wild thyme, hazel buds and grass from a fairy throne. He admitted that no one knows what a fairy throne might be, so they collected grass from an old hilltop fort. (I've included a photo of the slide with the recipe to the left.)

People at the conference were invited to try out the finished product if they wanted, but with a disclaimer that it was at their own risk. I tried it - of course - but I don't think I've noticed any fairies since then. Maybe the grass was the wrong type.

The MWM conference ran alongside this year's exhibition, Betwixt and Between, inspired by Isobel Gowdie, the Witch of Auldearn, whose confessions to witchcraft in the 17th century included feasting beneath the Downie Hill with the King and Queen of the Fairies. The photo above right shows an artist's impression of the fairy hill, in the exhibition. You can find out more about the MWM here.

Links and previous related posts
https://museumofwitchcraftandmagic.co.uk/
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2019/05/pagan-eye-fairy-hill-at-museum-of.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2019/05/betwixt-between-isobel-gowdie-witch-of.html

Yule Tree Visualisation for Winter Solstice Magic

Here is a guided visualisation to help you tap into the magic of the Winter Solstice. To do this you need to be sitting somewhere comfortable and safe, where you will not be disturbed.

You can record the visualisation first if you like, then play it back to yourself. It is perfect to do if you have crafted your own fairy or angel doll for you Yule tree, but that isn't essential. When you are ready to start, sit comfortably. Close your eyes and relax and then take three deep breaths in and out.

In your mind’s eye, visualise a beautiful evergreen tree. Image yourself dressing the tree with all of your favourite ornaments.

Last of all, you place onto the tree a fairy or angel doll. 

You stand in front of the decorated tree and look at it. Look at the beautiful, green branches and smell the scent of the pine needles. Admire your handiwork in decorating it.

As you observe the tree, you can see the vibrant green energy of the deep earth going up into it, up through its roots and into its trunk, flowing along its branches. 

You can also see silver energy from the heavens coming down and reaching the top of the tree, flowing all over its branches, down its trunk and into the earth at its roots. 

You see the two streams of energy mingle and combine, suffusing everything on the tree and making it all glow with light. As you watch, the energy flows into your fairy or angel, bringing them to life. They glow with energy. 

You see that your angel or fairy has eyes and a mouth and other features on their face. They look at you and speak. “Do you have a wish?” they ask you.

If you do have a wish, tell your fairy or angel what it is you wish for this Yuletide, and know that your wish will be heard by the spirit of the season.

Spend a little more time conversing with your fairy or angel.

When you are ready, bring the conversation to an end. Say your goodbyes, but know that your fairy or angel will be watching over you and throughout this Yuletide. Your tree and all that is on it will be filled with the magic of the season.

Return now from your visualisation. 

Be aware of your body. Take a deep breath in and out, wiggle your fingers and toes, then open your eyes when you are ready.

It is also a good idea to have something to eat and drink to help yourself ground after doing any visualisation or magical work.

If you want to make your own angel or fairy doll to decorate your tree, here are my instructions for making a tree topper angel and a hanging angel or fairy ornament.

You can also view my book Pagan Portals - Poppets and Magical Dolls on Amazon. It has lots of information about dolls for seasonal celebrations, among other things. 

2024 UPDATE: This guided visualisation is one I've included in my book, Pagan Portals - Guided Visualisations. You can view it on Amazon

Please note I earn commissions from some links

Links and previous related posts:
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2018/12/craft-angel-or-fairy-yule-tree-hanging.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2018/12/craft-easy-to-make-angel-or-fairy-yule.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2018/11/magical-dolls-history-of-poppets-effigy.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2018/12/magical-dolls-yule-tree-fairy-angel.html

Craft: Easy to Make Angel or Fairy Yule Tree Toppers

Yesterday I blogged about how to make an angel or fairy decoration to hang from the branches of your Yule tree. Today I'm showing how to make a really easy but effective angel that you can use as a a tree topper or standing ornament. You could easily use the same concept to make a fairy if you prefer.

There are two pieces to the pattern. For the top half you can use a large cookie cutter or you can draw your own angel or fairy shape. The one in the photo to the right is the largest in a set of three angel cutters that you can see on Amazon.

The second shape you need is a curved piece like shape at the bottom of the photo to the right. I drew that using a drawing compass with the point in the corner of a sheet of plain paper.

To make the actual angel or fairy, you can use all sorts of different types of paper or thin card. Sparkly is best. I found that 160gsm card was great as it is thin enough to bend easily, but stiff enough to hold its shape, but you don’t have to stick to that. You could use plain white photocopy paper and then use paint or felt pens to colour in before gluing the shapes or you can spray paint the doll afterwards.

In the photo at the top, the silver angel was made using using plain white paper and spraying it with paint. For the gold one, I upcycled a gift bag that I’d been given with a present in the past.

Once you have chosen your card, turn it over and on the reverse side, clip your curved pattern to one corner with paperclips. Place it flat on the table, draw around it with a pencil, remove the pattern, then cut out the shape. Put it to one side.

Next, fold your remaining card in two down the middle of the length so that the shiny or glittery side is inside. Put that flat on the table and place your angel pattern or cookie cutter so that the head just touches the fold and the bottom is level with the edge of the card. If you are using a paper pattern, put a clip on the head to hold it in place. Draw around the angel shape.  Remove the clip – fill in any lines you need to by hand – then cut out the angel, leaving a tiny bit joined at the top of the head. This will help keep it in place.

Put glue just around the edges of the doll along its sides, wings and head. Do not put glue along the bottom of the doll. Fold it the right way round and stick the edges together. Put paperclips where you need them to hold the edges in place while it sticks, especially at the bottom side edges. Put that to one side to dry.

Then you make a cone using the curved shape. Put glue along one inside edge of the card, but not along the curved edge. Form it into a cone and stick the edges together. This is a bit fiddly. I find it helps to use a paperclip at the bottom and to put a pencil inside the cone to give something firm to press the glued edges together against. It doesn’t matter if the top of the cone is a bit messy as that will go inside the angel and won’t be seen.

Leave that aside to dry.

When the glue has dried enough, put a little more glue onto the outside of the top of the cone.

Take the top of the angel. Leave the paperclips at the bottom outside edge, but remove any other paper clips. Press the sides of the top half of the angel so that it opens up and insert the cone into the gap. Leave it to dry again. When it is completely dry take off the paperclips.

Afterwards you can decorate it further if you like. You could add glitter or use a sparkly pipe cleaner to add a halo or a wand if you wanted.

Then your angel can go on your tree, on your mantelpiece or even on your desk at work.

During the next few days I will be blogging with a visualisation to fill your creations - and your Yule tree - with the magic of the season. You can read more about crafting and enchanting seasonal dolls in my book Pagan Portals - Poppets and Magical Dolls, which was published this autumn. You can also view Poppets and Magical Dolls on Amazon.

Previous related posts:
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2018/12/craft-angel-or-fairy-yule-tree-hanging.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/12/winter-solstice-tree-topper-sun-star.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2018/11/magical-dolls-history-of-poppets-effigy.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2018/10/magical-dolls-poppet-of-protection-for.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2018/11/book-news-candles-poppets-every-day.html

Book: Travelling the Fairy Path by Morgan Daimler

Travelling the Fairy Path: Experiencing the Myth, Magic and Mysticism of Fairy Witchcraft, the latest book from Morgan Daimler, is published this month.

I was lucky enough to read it before it was published. I loved it and happily gave it a glowing endorsement. This is what I wrote:

If you really want to know the truth about fairies, Morgan Daimler’s books are the ones to turn to. She is renowned for her impeccable research as well as having years of genuine experience travelling the fairy path, which is exactly the subject of her latest book. While Fairies: A Guide to the Celtic Fair Folk demonstrated her historic and folkloric knowledge and Fairycraft: Following the Path of Fairy Witchcraft offered a practical way of combining traditional fairy lore with modern witchcraft, Travelling the Fairy Path offers the insights from a life of interacting with the Good Neighbours, including personal breakthroughs, mistakes and gnosis. Having had some encounters with the Fair Folk myself, this book absolutely resonated with me. Read it and heed Morgan’s advice, if you yourself feel drawn to the fairy road.

Publisher Moon Books describes Travelling the Fairy Path as an in-depth and experiential look from the inside at practising Fairy Witchcraft. It adds:

This unique form of spirituality is one that melds the traditions of the Fairy Faith with neopagan witchcraft, creating something that is new yet rooted in the old. In this third book in the series the reader is invited to travel down the path to Fairy with the author and see how their journey has unfolded over the last twenty-five years, weaving together practical experience and academic study. Looking at this form of witchcraft with an eye that is both serious and humorous Travelling the Fairy Path offers insight and suggestions for practices shaped from the source material and lived in daily life to help as the reader moves from beginner to experienced practitioner.

If you are interested in Celtic fairy lore and practical advice for working with the Fair Folk, this is your book.

You can view Travelling the Fairy Path on Amazon.

Links and previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2017/11/review-fairies-guide-to-celtic-fair-folk.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/11/review-pagan-portals-gods-goddess-of.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2014/10/review-morrigan-meeting-great-queens.html
http://www.moon-books.net/

Magic School: The Fairy Faith with Ken Rees

Tutor Kenneth Rees is running a two-day course on the Fairy Faith in central London. The dates for this are Saturday 22 September and Saturday 6 October.

Here is the information about the course:

This course explores the importance of the Otherworld for a possible enhanced understanding of oneself. Our focus will be primarily on fairy tale and the role the fairy story has in making links between mortality and immortality, birth and rebirth, cosmic and human integration. The means of access to, and release from, Faery is examined as is the interaction within its realms, its denizens, its otherworldly geography, its roles and quality of life.

Journeys to the Otherworld, by whatever vehicles (e.g. dream, trance) can be viewed as episodes in local or regional `books of the dead’ (e.g. Celtic, Egyptian, Tibetan) by which means instruction is given and a range of outcomes achieved. These may range from the endowment of treasures to unwanted gifts. Visiting such altered states of consciousness may have initiatory import for the individual involved.

Theoretically, the origins of fairy tale will be reviewed and examples of the fairy faith provided. Connections will be suggested between different fairy tale narratives and a person’s life history as a means of shedding light on each, thus demonstrating that the metaphorical power of story can often be applied to an individual’s circumstances today.

The reading list for the course includes:

• K. Briggs, A Dictionary of Fairies, Penguin, 1976
• J.C.Cooper, Fairy Tales: Allegories of the Inner Life, Aquarian, 1983
• R. Kirk, The Secret Commonwealth of Fairies, Observer, 1933
• J. Harte, Explore Fairy Traditions, Heart of Albion, 2003
• J. Bord, The Traveller’s Guide to Fairy Sites, Gothic Image, 2004

Venue: The Mary Ward Centre, Queen Square, London WC1 (nearest tube stations – Holborn, Russell Square)
Dates: Saturday 22 September and Saturday 6 October
Time: 10.15am – 5.30pm
Course No: 448
Fees: £56 Cons: £20
Enrolment: 0207 269 6000 (or online)
Enquires: 0208 671 6372
Website: www.marywardcentre.ac.uk

Survey Leads to Book & Map of British & Irish Fairies

Where to find fairies in the UK

Today, a major modern history of British and Irish fairies is officially published. The book Magical Folk: British and Irish Fairies – 500 AD to the Present is by Dr Simon Young and Dr Ceri Houlbrook, who conducted a survey on modern fairy beliefs.

Britain's Belief in Fairies is Going Up

Dr Simon Young, lead scholar of Magical Folk: British and Irish Fairies – 500 AD to the Present, concluded as part of the research the first scholarly online fairy survey over four years that British people's belief in fairies is increasing.

Only four per cent said they did not believe in fairies, while 44 per cent of the respondents said they had actually seen fairies. Twenty-three per cent they had seen a fairy once, 57 per cent saw them occasionally and 20 per cent saw them regularly. The rising number of sightings correlates with the popularity of films about myths and the supernatural such as The Lord of the Rings (based by JRR Tolkien on a Worcestershire fairy recorded as being seen near his aunt's house).

The online questionnaires included detailed questions about the geographical, social and religious background of the respondents as well as their actual experiences. Dr Simon Young and Dr Ceri Houlbrook (Fellow at Hertfordshire University) were supported by a team of leading folklore and history researchers from the Universities of Chichester, Bristol, Cardiff, Cork, Dublin, the Folklore Society and Bourne Hall Museum.

Britain's Fairy-Map: British Fairies Like Cities

All of those who provided detailed descriptions of their sighting of British and Irish Fairies also added geographical locations where they saw (or continue to see fairies). This data allowed Dr Simon Young to draw up the first fairy map for Britain. The map of sightings by respondents addresses at least one previously unanswerable question – where in Britain one is most likely to encounter fairies and where fairy researchers are most likely to encounter people who see fairies.

Overall, 80 per cent of people saw fairies once or occasionally, which suggests that a special sensory talent is not necessary to come across British or Irish fairies.

Britain's top fairy towns are London (more than 50 per cent of regular city sightings), Birmingham, Bath, Glasgow and Aberdeen.

Britain's top fairy counties are Devon, Cornwall, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, London, Essex and Oxfordshire. Yorkshire, where the Cottingley Fairy photographs were taken, is still one of Britain's most active counties where fairies are regularly sighted

British and Irish Fairies are Not Necessarily Nice

British fairies are not necessarily nice tutu-wearing butterfly-sized creatures. Respondents who encountered British and Irish fairies reported that they were angry (particularly in Essex and Scotland) and mischievous. Some respondents reported that their encounters were sexually and erotically charged (especially in Essex, Hampshire and Somerset). Fairy sizes varied from leaf-size to 15ft giants.

For further information on the results click on this link: Britain's Fairies Are Not Necessarily Nice

You can view Magical Folk: British and Irish Fairies – 500 AD to the Present on Amazon